Methyl Parathion

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Environment

Why in News?

The Chemical Review Committee (CRC) under the Rotterdam Convention adopted a Decision Guidance Document (DGD) concerning methyl parathion.

methamine pesticide upsc 2026

Decision taken at – 22^nd meeting of the Chemical Review Committee (CRC-22).
Venue – Rome, Italy
The DGD has been forwarded to the Conference of the Parties (COP) for final consideration.
If approved, methyl parathion will become formally subject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure.
Health concerns – According to the decision document, exposure to methyl parathion may result in the following adverse health effects:
- Behavioural changes
- Respiratory depression
- Respiratory paralysis
- Coma
- Death
- Intermediate syndrome
- Delayed polyneuropathy
- Reproductive-system damage
- Mutagenic effects
Actions by Brazil & European Union
- Brazil – Complete ban on production, use, sale, import & export of products containing methyl parathion
- EU – Sale/use of plant protection products containing methyl parathion not permitted

Rotterdam Convention

Rotterdam Convention on – Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.
Adopted on – 10 September 1998; entered into force on 24 February 2004.
Objective – To promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
Legally Binding – The PIC Procedure is a legally binding obligation for member nations.
It aims to:
- Facilitate information exchange
- Promote information sharing about hazardous chemicals
- Enable countries to make informed decisions about imports
- Communicate those decisions to exporting Parties
- Contribute to environmentally sound use of chemicals

Rotterdam Convention vs Global Chemical Regulation

The Rotterdam Convention does not mandate a universal ban on every listed chemical.
Instead, the Convention establishes a mechanism to facilitate the following:
- Information exchange,
- Notification procedures,
- Informed decision-making, and
- International cooperation.

Reference

Down to Earth | Methyl Parathion